Sri Lanka’s first insulin manufacturing plant is expected to begin production in 2027, once construction and the necessary validation processes are complete, Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said.
The facility is being established by Premium International Injectable (Pvt) Ltd. at the Koggala Export Processing Zone in Galle, in an investment of more than Rs. 3 billion. The Minister spoke during a visit to the site on 17 October.
The company plans to start with insulin and then expand to anaesthetics, painkillers and other pharmaceuticals, with a target of producing 33 types of medicine. The project is a joint venture with the State Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Corporation (SPMC), and a 15-year supply agreement with the corporation is in place. The company also intends to export its products.
Sri Lanka currently imports most of its insulin from four companies in India, the Minister said. He said local production would help keep supply continuous and strengthen the country’s ability to monitor the quality of the product.
Talks are under way to supply medicines to the Maldives through the SPMC, and requests for supplies have come from several other countries, including Timor-Leste, he said.
Background
The Minister said that 85 percent to 90 percent of the medicines needed by the hospital system are imported, while local manufacturers supply about 10 percent to 15 percent.
He said the Government had put particular emphasis over the past two years on keeping medicine supplies uninterrupted, after disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis. At present about 96 percent of the hospital system’s pharmaceutical requirements are being met, he said. Challenges remain, including the absence of supplier participation in procurement for 37 types of medicines.
Insulin is injected by many people with diabetes, which makes a steady supply important for patients who depend on it.
What it means
For patients and hospitals, the stated aim of the project is a supply of insulin that does not rest on imports from a small number of foreign companies. The plant is not expected to start production until 2027, so current supply arrangements continue until then.
The Minister said reducing reliance on imported medicines, expanding local production and increasing export earnings were key objectives for the coming decade. He said local manufacturing would also save foreign exchange now spent on imports.
He said Sri Lanka’s small land area and population should not be barriers to building a pharmaceutical industry that meets international standards. The Government would support local manufacturers that comply with the required quality and regulatory requirements, he said.
